Aston Villa ‘guilty’ named as Steven Gerrard told to settle defense ‘everywhere’
Former Aston Villa striker Paul Merson has suggested Steven Gerrard should drop club captain Tyrone Mings due to the defender’s ‘poor’ form.
The comment came before Villa again managed to keep a clean sheet against Watford at the weekend, making it just one clean sheet in their last eight games dating back to Boxing Day. The only shutout came at Everton last month, with Gerrard’s side conceding 13 goals in that span.
Ezri Konsa was unavailable again after serving the final game of his suspension in the Leeds United draw, and Merson believes changes still need to be made.
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“They’re a great club, don’t get me wrong, but the team has been inconsistent for years,” Merson said in Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday program preview (via Birmingham World).
“One minute they’re here, the next they’re here. You have to be consistent, and that’s Villa’s problem. Defensively, I don’t think they were good enough.
“They don’t keep enough clean sheets and are all over the place sometimes so that has to change but I’m sure they will stay up.
“Tyrone Mings has been mediocre, if I’m being honest, and he’s been responsible for a lot of the goals they’ve conceded recently. Steven Gerrard may have to drop him from the team, in my opinion.
“He might be the one who might need to be left out; for a game or two. I think he really struggled for form.
“Steven, like [ Everton manager] Frank Lampard will be monitoring all of these players, like who can play home or away, and who takes the ball with the shackles already removed.
“He has a lot of work to do. He came to Villa, and he’s a winner, who wants to make sure this team fights for Europe next season, not to be in the bottom half of the table.
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